Losing to the Dead
by AWalkingDisaster
Summary: She wouldn't die. She couldn't. He wouldn't let that happen. AU, One-shot.


**A/N:**

**Sorry I've been so busy!**

**So, here's a quick one-shot while I work on Savior. This was an idea I had while listening to a song on repeat.**

**Please don't hate me! **

We had only just escaped the Marsh House when I noticed it.

Clementine's grip on my hand had weakened.

It had seemed so trivial, and I tried to ignore it. After all, the girl was probably tired and walking at such a slow pace to avoid the walkers probably wasn't helping. Suddenly, I felt the girl tremble beside me and heard her soft gasp.

I turned my attention to the approaching creatures, only to see the man and the woman from the photo, Clementine's parents, standing there.

However, I pushed us onwards.

Slowly we made it out of the group of walkers, and Clementine had stepped closer to me. She was still shaking, but she'd just seen her parents dead and roaming the streets, so I excused this.

It was only when she started stumbling that I began to worry.

"Clementine?" I knelt down before the young girl, still covered in the remains of a walker from the Marsh House. "Are you alright?"

"I don't feel good..." Clementine looked at me, those soft, caramel eyes with an almost glazed look to them. Her skin was paling and colder, her trembling growing worse, and she looked terrified.

"We should rest…" I told her, the young girl nodding in agreement.

We traveled towards a small building, and I closed and blocked the door behind us with empty shelves.

"Lee…?"

Her voice was so frail and shaky, and I grew terrified.

"Yes, Clem?" I looked over to her, the girl sitting in the corner of the room. She was so pale...her eyes were so dull-looking…

"I'm scared…" She whispered.

I moved over to the girl and sat next to her on the dusty floor. "Why are you scared, sweet pea?"

Clementine visibly hesitated, "I didn't want to tell you…I thought it would be okay…" The girl rolled up the sleeve to her pink sweater, revealing a design of deep, red marks.

My heart immediately sunk in my chest. "When did it happen?"

"When he was taking me away from the house." She whimpered, "It attacked us."

It had been _hours._

My heart felt like it had stopped, I felt sick and dizzy, it felt like a nightmare. I wanted to wake up.

Clementine's voice broke me away from my thoughts, she spoke through tears, "I'm going to die, aren't I?"

"No, Clem-"

She interrupted me, "I know what happens…I'm going to die, don't lie…"

I took a deep breath; I wasn't going to answer that. I'd make sure that she didn't. We'd find a cure. I'd raise her somewhere out in the country…

"Come on, Clem…" I stood and offered her my hand.

The girl attempted to stand, but her frail legs fell underneath her and she began crying harder, her sobs shaking her whole body.

I lifted her from the ground and held her in my arms, I could feel her shaking violently, and I could feel her cold skin…

"It's going to be okay." I whispered.

Clementine weakly clung onto my shirt, she was so tired.

"You won't let me turn, right…?"

I didn't answer her, opening the door to the back entrance. There was a walker, but he appeared to be trapped in his chair. I grabbed the keys to the door and his gun. I could use the gun later for walkers if I needed to.

Clementine trembled, just staring at the walker. I couldn't imagine the thoughts running through the girl's head in that moment. She just stared, as if trying to relate. Trying to see how a person could possibly become _that._

I carried her outside, and as I walked with her, she spoke, asking questions about walkers and turning.

I couldn't bring myself to answer any of them.

She wouldn't die; I'd make sure of that. She'd be alright. We'd find a cure somehow; we'd do whatever we had to. She would live out a full life. She'd outlive me. She'd see the world renewed, society reforming, and acting as normal. I wouldn't let her die.

Finally, the girl fell asleep in my arms after a while as I carried her through an open field.

It appeared to be empty; there was no sign of walkers or other people.

I looked down at Clementine. She was so pale and cold…

Her breathing was slow and shallow, and after ten minutes, it stopped completely.

My legs felt weak underneath me and I set her down to feel for a pulse.

Nothing.

I put my hands on her chest and began attempting CPR, pushing frantically.

Nothing.

Tears began welling in my eyes, slipping down my cheeks, "Clementine, wake up!"

Nothing.

She was pale and cold.

She was gone.

I was numb for a moment before I could only feel pain rush through my body.

Coursing, swelling pain.

My entire being trembled as I screamed, and I reached for the glock.

I wouldn't let her turn.

I wouldn't let that happen to her.

I cocked it with a shaky hand, staring at that pale face.

I aimed it at her forehead, putting my head down for a moment to breathe before looking back up.

I stared at her for a long moment, tears flowing freely as I whispered.

"I love you."

The shot rang through the air and I screamed again before slowly pressing the gun to my own temple.


End file.
